Home appliance assembly

ABSTRACT

A home appliance assembly employs an alignment device provided to the respective flanges of a front panel and side cabinet of the outer case of a home appliance, such as a dryer, to facilitate assembly and prevent a distortion of the front panel that may occur when the completed assembly is transported. The home appliance assembly includes at least one first flange formed on a front panel of an outer case, at least one second flange formed on a side cabinet of the outer case to oppose the first flange, and an alignment device for aligning the front panel with respect to the side cabinet during assembly of the outer case.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No.P2003-085614, filed on Nov. 28, 2003, which is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to home appliances, and more particularly,to a home appliance assembly, which employs an alignment means providedto the respective flanges of a front panel and side cabinet, tofacilitate the assembly of a home appliance such as a dryer.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Generally speaking, a home appliance comprises a plurality of outerpanels forming an outer case for housing the inner workings of theappliance, and the outer panels are provided in pieces to facilitatemanufacturing and repair stages. For logistical and aesthetic reasons,the outer panels are typically provided as large panels of sheet metalto be structurally joined at the edges. In joining these panels to formthe outer case of a home appliance, structural strength and integrityand ease of assembly should be considered.

As an exemplary home appliance assembly, FIG. 1 illustrates acontemporary dryer in which an outer case includes a front panel 20 tobe assembled to a side cabinet 30 of the dryer. Corresponding pairs offirst and second flanges 21 and 31 are formed on the rearward edges ofthe lateral sides of the front panel 20 and on the forward edges of theside cabinet 30, respectively, and are coupled together securely by aplurality of coupling means, such as screw locks, so that the frontpanel 20 is fixed to the side cabinet 30. In manufacturing the frontpanel 20 and the side cabinet 30, however, it is virtually impossible toform the first and second flanges 21 and 31 with mating surfaces thatare perfectly flat, even, and consistent, such that random andinconsistent gaps between the first and second flanges 21 and 31 areinevitably present in the completed assembly of the outer case of a homeappliance.

Therefore, in a home appliance assembly of a related art, the frontpanel 20 assembled to the side cabinet 30 tends to shake or rattleduring operation of the home appliance and tends to move or shift duringits transport. Moreover, the home appliance assembly requires numerousscrew locks to assemble the front panel 20 and side cabinet 30, therebyhindering productivity, and assembly necessitates a production worker tohold in place the front panel with respect to the side cabinet, to allowfor installation of the screw locks. Furthermore, when the completedassembly is carried manually such that the cabinet sides are compressed,the front channel tends to distort or buckle, which may cause permanentdamage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a home applianceassembly that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due tolimitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a home applianceassembly having an outer case, which facilitates the assembly of theouter case.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a home applianceassembly, which prevents a distortion of a front panel of the outer casethat may occur when the completed assembly is transported.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be apparent to thosehaving ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following ormay be learned from a practice of the invention. The objectives andother advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by thesubject matter particularly pointed out in the specification and claimshereof as well as in the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages in accordance with thepresent invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a homeappliance assembly includes at least one first flange formed on a frontpanel of an outer case, at least one second flange formed on a sidecabinet of the outer case to oppose the first flange, and alignmentmeans for aligning the front panel with respect to the side cabinetduring assembly of the outer case.

The alignment means includes at least one holder protruding from one ofthe first and second flanges, wherein the other flange has a recesscorresponding to the holder such that the holder may be inserted intothe recess. Preferably, the alignment means further includes at leastone protrusion having a predetermined height to maintain a uniform gapbetween the flanges.

In another aspect of the present invention, a home appliance assemblyincludes a front panel, provided to a front side of an outer case,having a pair of first flanges respectively formed at a rearward edge ofboth sides of the front panel, a side cabinet, provided on both lateralsides of the outer case, having a pair of second flanges respectivelyformed on forward edges of the side cabinet to oppose the first flanges,at least one protrusion having a predetermined height to maintain auniform gap between the first flanges and the second flanges, and aholder, protruding from said at least one protrusion, for aligning thefront panel with respect to the side cabinet during assembly, whereinsaid at least one protrusion is provided to one of said pair of firstflanges and said pair of second flanges and a recess is formed in theother pair of flanges to receive said holder.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a dryer including a firstflange formed on a front panel of an outer case, a second flange formedon a side cabinet of the outer case, to oppose said first flange uponassembly of the outer case, and a holder protruding from one of saidfirst and second flanges, the other flange of said first and secondflanges having a recess corresponding to said holder, wherein, when saidholder is inserted into the recess, the front panel is aligned withrespect to the side cabinet during the assembly of the outer case.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing explanation and thefollowing detailed description of the present invention are exemplaryand illustrative and are intended to provide further explanation of theinvention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principle of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective breakaway diagram showing the assembly of afront panel to a side cabinet of a contemporary dryer;

FIG. 2 is a perspective breakaway diagram of a front panel and sidecabinet of a home appliance assembly according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective breakaway diagram of a front panel and sidecabinet of a home appliance assembly according to a second embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective breakaway diagram of a front panel and sidecabinet of a home appliance assembly according to a third embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective breakaway diagram of an assembly of a holder andflange of a home appliance adopting the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Throughout the drawings, like elements are indicated using thesame or similar reference designations where possible.

The present invention may be applied to any home appliance having joinedcabinet panels. In the accompanying drawings, a drum-type dryer is shownfor illustrative purposes only.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front panel and side cabinet of a home applianceassembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention.Referring to FIG. 2, the edge of each side of a front panel 200 of ahome appliance adopting the present invention is bent into a channelshape having a first flange 210 formed at a rear surface of the channelto establish a mating surface, and a forward edge of each side of a sidecabinet 300 is bent approximately at a right angle, to form a secondflange 310 for meeting the corresponding first flange 210 of the frontpanel 200 at the mating surface. The bends in the front panel 200reinforce its structural rigidity, and the bends in the side cabinet 300reinforce the rigidity of the front panel 200 after assembly, i.e.,after a coupling the first and second flanges 210 and 310.

The home appliance assembly is provided with alignment means formaintaining a proper alignment position of the front panel 200 withrespect to the side cabinet 300, for facilitating an assembly (orcoupling) of the front panel to the side cabinet, and for reinforcingthe rigidity of the coupled parts after assembly. The alignment means isprovided at a plurality of locations, preferably at at least one site oneach side of the upper and lower ends of the first and second flanges210 and 310, the sites of each flange being separated by a predetermineddistance (or intervals). As shown in FIG. 2, the alignment meanscomprises at least one holder 410 protruding from the second flange 310to allow for insertion into a recess 420 formed in the first flange 210at a location corresponding to that of the holder 410. The holder 410 istapered toward its distal end to facilitate insertion. In assembling thefront panel 200 to the side cabinet 300, the holder 410 is inserted intothe recess 420, thereby facilitating an alignment of the first andsecond flanges 210 and 310, whereby the relative positioning ismaintained.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the holder 410 isprovided to the second flange 310, and the recess 420 in which theholder 410 is to be inserted is formed in the first flange 210. Theholder 410 may be integrally formed with the second flange 310 or,subsequent to the formation of the second flange 310, may be affixedthereto, for example, by welding, using a screw coupling, or via a hook(not shown). The recess 420 may be open at the edge of the first flange210 or may be formed as an enclosed hole through the first flange 210.

FIG. 3 illustrates a home appliance assembly according to a secondembodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the alignmentmeans comprises at least one holder 410′ protruding from a first flange210′ to allow for insertion into a recess 420′ formed in a second flange310′ at a location corresponding to that of the holder. The holder 410′is tapered toward its distal end to facilitate insertion. In assemblingthe front panel 200 to the side cabinet 300, the holder 410′ is insertedinto the recess 420′, thereby facilitating an alignment of the first andsecond flanges 210′ and 310′, whereby the relative positioning ismaintained.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the holder 410′ isprovided to the first flange 210′, and the recess 420′ in which theholder 410′ is to be inserted is formed in the second flange 310′. Theholder 410′ may be integrally formed with the first flange 210′ or,subsequent to the formation of the first flange 210′, may be affixedthereto, for example, by welding, using a screw coupling, or via a hook(not shown). The recess 420′ may be open at the edge of the secondflange 310′ or may be formed as an enclosed hole penetrating the secondflange 310′.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side cabinet and front panel of a home applianceassembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention, inwhich the alignment means further comprises at least one protrusion 430having a predetermined height, provided to a forward surface of one ofthe first flange 210 and second flange 310, for maintaining a uniformgap between the first and second flanges 210 and 310. That is, thoughshown protruding from the second flange in FIG. 4, the protrusion 430may be provided to either the first flange 210 or the second flange 310.Preferably, the protrusion 430, which may be integrally formed with theholder 410, is provided to the flange having the holders. In any event,the protrusion 430 is provided at each location of the first or secondflange 210 or 310 that corresponds to a location of the holder 410. Indoing so, the protrusion 430 may be integrally formed with the first orsecond flange 210 or 310 by a process known as “foaming”. Preferably,the foaming process integrally forms the holder 410, the protrusion 430,and the corresponding flange as one body.

The foaming process is performed to manufacture the first flange 210 ofthe front panel 200 or the second flange 310 of the side cabinet 300,thus forming the protrusion 430 and holder 410 on one flange, and therecess 420 is formed in the other flange. Then, in assembling the frontpanel 200 and side cabinet 300, the holder 410 having the tapered shapeis inserted into the recess 420, thereby achieving alignment. In doingso, the flange (210 or 310) in which the recess 420 is formed makescontact with the surface of the protrusion 430 provided to the otherflange (210 or 310), and the protrusion 430 maintains a uniform gapbetween the flanges, thereby preventing the front panel 200 fromrattling during operation or being shifted during transport. Finally,the assembly of the front panel 200 and side cabinet 300, which aretemporarily fitted together by the alignment means, is completed using ascrew coupling or the like.

According to the present invention, the holder 410 and protrusion 430are provided to the first or second flange 210 or 310, which are coupledtogether using, for example, a screw coupling.

Referring to FIG. 5, illustrating a screw coupling of the holder 410 tothe second flange 310 provided with the protrusion 430, a locking hole431 is centrally formed in the protrusion so as to penetrate the flange,and a through hole 411 is formed through the holder 410. A screw 100 ispassed through the through hole 411 to be secured in the locking hole431, thereby fixing the holder 410 to the second flange 310 at theprotrusion 430. As an alternative to screw coupling, the holder 410 maybe coupled to the protrusion 430 by welding or via a hook (not shown).

As described above, the assembly of a home appliance adopting thepresent invention is facilitated since the alignment between the frontpanel and the side cabinet is achieved by the holder provided to one ofthe flanges. Moreover, a distortion of the front panel that may occurduring the transport of the completed assembly is prevented since theholder provided to one flange is inserted into the recess provided tothe other flange, thereby reinforcing the rigidity of the front panel.In addition, the protrusion provided between the holder and the flangemaintains a uniform gap between the flanges after assembly of frontpanel to the side cabinet.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover such modifications andvariations, provided they come within the scope of the appended claimsand their equivalents.

1. A home appliance assembly comprising: at least one first flangeformed on a front panel of an outer case; at least one second flangeformed on a side cabinet of the outer case to oppose said at least onefirst flange; and alignment means for aligning the front panel withrespect to the side cabinet during assembly of the outer case.
 2. Thehome appliance assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front panelhas at least two sides, said first flange being formed on each side ofthe front panel.
 3. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 1,wherein said at least one first flange is bent into a channel shapehaving a rearward-facing mating surface for meeting said at least onesecond flange.
 4. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 1,wherein the side cabinet has at least two forward edges, said secondflange being formed on each forward edge of the side cabinet by bendingthe forward edge approximately at a right angle to meet said at leastone first flange.
 5. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 1,said alignment means comprising: at least one holder protruding from oneof said first and second flanges, wherein the other flange of said firstand second flanges has a recess corresponding to said at least oneholder such that said at least one holder may be inserted into therecess.
 6. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid at least one holder is provided to said at least one first flangeand wherein the recess is formed in said at least one second flange. 7.The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at leastone holder is provided to said at least one second flange and whereinthe recess is formed in said at least one first flange.
 8. The homeappliance assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least oneholder is tapered toward its distal end.
 9. The home appliance assemblyas claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one holder is integrallyformed with said one of said first and second flanges by a foamingprocess.
 10. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid at least one holder is coupled to said one of said first and secondflanges using a screw.
 11. The home appliance assembly as claimed inclaim 5, wherein said at least one holder is welded to said one of saidfirst and second flanges.
 12. The home appliance assembly as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the recess formed in said one of said first and secondflanges is open along an edge of said one of said first and secondflanges.
 13. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid at least one holder is provided at a plurality of sites on said oneof said first and second flanges, the plurality of sites establishing apredetermined interval.
 14. The home appliance assembly as claimed inclaim 11, wherein said one of said first and second flanges has an upperand lower end, said at least one holder being provided at at least onesite on each of upper and lower ends of said one of said first andsecond flanges.
 15. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 1,wherein said alignment means comprises at least one protrusion having apredetermined height to maintain a uniform gap between said at least onefirst flange and said at least one second flange.
 16. The home applianceassembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the alignment means furthercomprises at least one protrusion having a predetermined height tomaintain a uniform gap between said at least one first flange and saidat least one second flange.
 17. The home appliance assembly as claimedin claim 16, wherein said at least one protrusion and said at least oneholder are provided to said at least one first flange and wherein therecess is formed in said at least one second flange.
 18. The homeappliance assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least oneprotrusion and said at least one holder are provided to said at leastone second flange and wherein the recess is formed in said at least onefirst flange.
 19. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 16,wherein said at least one protrusion and said at least one holder areeach provided at a plurality of sites on said one of said first andsecond flanges, the plurality of sites establishing a predeterminedinterval.
 20. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 16,wherein said one of said first and second flanges has an upper and lowerend, said at least one protrusion and said at least one holder eachbeing provided at at least one site on each of upper and lower ends ofsaid one of said first and second flanges.
 21. The home applianceassembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one protrusionand said at least one holder are integrally formed as one body by afoaming process.
 22. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 16,wherein said at least one protrusion, said at least one holder, and saidone of said first and second flanges are integrally formed as one bodyby a foaming process.
 23. The home appliance assembly as claimed inclaim 16, wherein said at least one holder is coupled to said at leastone protrusion using a screw.
 24. The home appliance assembly as claimedin claim 16, wherein said at least one holder is coupled to said atleast one protrusion and said one of said first and second flanges usinga screw.
 25. The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 16, whereinsaid at least one holder is welded to said at least one protrusion. 26.The home appliance assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sidecabinet is part of an outer case of a dryer.
 27. A home applianceassembly comprising: a front panel, provided to a front side of an outercase, having a pair of first flanges respectively formed at a rearwardedge of both sides of the front panel; a side cabinet, provided on bothlateral sides of the outer case, having a pair of second flangesrespectively formed on forward edges of the side cabinet to oppose thefirst flanges; at least one protrusion having a predetermined height tomaintain a uniform gap between the first flanges and the second flanges;and a holder, protruding from said at least one protrusion, for aligningthe front panel with respect to the side cabinet during assembly,wherein said at least one protrusion is provided to one of said pair offirst flanges and said pair of second flanges and a recess is formed inthe other pair of flanges to receive said holder.
 28. A dryercomprising: a first flange formed on a front panel of an outer case; asecond flange formed on a side cabinet of the outer case, to oppose saidfirst flange upon assembly of the outer case; and a holder protrudingfrom one of said first and second flanges, the other flange of saidfirst and second flanges having a recess corresponding to said holder,wherein, when said holder is inserted into the recess, the front panelis aligned with respect to the side cabinet during the assembly of theouter case.